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THE NORTH CAROLINA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

' JOSEPH HYDE PRATT, State Geologist. 



Economic Paper No. 12, 



INVESTIGATIONS RELATIVE TO THE SHAD 
FISHERIES OF NORTH CAROLINA 



JOHN N. COBB. 




/ 

RALEIGH : ^ 

E. M. UzzELL & Co., State Printers and Binders. 
190fi. 



Ilonogiapli 



THE NORTH CAROLINA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

JOSEPH HYDE PRATT, State Geologist. 



Economic Paper No. 12. 






INVESTIGATIONS RELATIVE TO THE SHAD 
FISHERIES OF NORTH CAROLINA 



JOHN N. COBB. 




RALEIGH : 

E. M. UzzELL & Co., State Printers and Binders. 
1906. 






GEOLOGICAL BOARD. 

GovEBNOE R. B. Glenn, ex officio Chairman Raleigh. 

Henky E. Fries Winston- Salem. 

Frank: R. Hewitt Asheville. 

Hugh MacRae Wilmington. 

Frank Wood ; Edenton. 

Joseph Hyde Pratt, State Geologist Chapel Hill. 



tV'^ji/ 



1« 



5t 



LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 



Ealeigh, K. C, August 1, 1906. 

To His Excellency, Hon. Robert B. Glenn, 

Governor of North Carolina. 

Si-R : — I herewith have the honor to submit for publication as 
Economic Paper 'No. 12 a report on the Investigations Relative to the 
Shad Fisheries of ISTorth Carolina. This report is supplemented by 
charts and tables which show the condition of this fishery in "JSTorth 
Carolina for 1906, location of nets and the yield of fish. This paper 
has been especially prepared for the use of tHe committee who are 
investigating the general condition of all the fishing industries of 
E-orth Carolina. y^^^^ obediently, 

Joseph Hyde Pkatt^ 

State Geologist. 



CONTENTS. 



PACK. 

I'ret'afO 7 

Introduction 9 

Table I 10 

Table II Opposite 11 

Tables III and IV Opposite 11 

Cape Fear River and Tributaries 11 

The Wilmington Section 12 

Drift-nets 12 

From Black River to Fayetteville 14 

Black River 14 

North East River 16 

Pamlico Sound 17 

Dutch Nets in Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds 19 

Neuse River and T|ributaries 24 

From the mouth to Conteutnea River 24 

From Contentnea River to Goldsboro 26 

Conteutnea River ' 26 

Little River 27 

Recommendations as to the Neuse River and Tributaries 27 

Pamlico-Tar River 27 

Tar River 29 

Pungo River 29 

Croatan Sound 30 

Roanoke Sound 30 

Albemarle Sound and Tributaries 31 

North River 32 

Pasquotank River 33 

Little River 33 

Perquimans River . 33 

Yeopim River and Creek 33 

Chowan River 33 

Roanoke River 34 

Scuppernong and Alligator rivers .■ 35 

General Recommendations 37 

Enforcement of the Law 37 

Early closing of season 38 

Cape Fear River : 38 

Northeast Cape Fear River 38 

Black and other tributaries of the Cape Fear River 38 

Neuse River 39 

Pamlico and Pungo River 39 

Tar River 39 

Pamlico, Roanoke and Croatan Sounds 39 

Albemarle Sound and Tributaries 39 

Location of Fixed Shad Apparatus 39 



MAPS. 



Map of Cape Fear River, N. C 40 

Map showing approximate location of seines and pound-nets fished for 

shad in 1906 41 

Map of Neuse River, N. C 42 

Map of Neuse River, N. C 43 

Map of Contentnea River, N. C 44 

Map of Tar River, N. C 45 

Map showing approximate location of seines and pound-nets fished for 

shad in 1906 '. 46 

Map showing approximate location of seines and pound-nets fished for 

shad in 1906 , 47 

Map showing approximate location of seines and potmd-nets fished for 

shad in 1904 48 

Map showing approximate location of seines and pound-nets fished for 

shad in 1904 49 

Map showing approximate location of seines and pound-nets fished for 

shad in 1904 50 



PREFACE. 

At the request of the ISTorth Carolina Geological Survey, the 
ITnited States Bureau of Fisheries, through Hon. George M. Bowers, 
its Commissioner, detailed Mr. John IST. Cobb as special agent to 
investigate the shad fisheries of ISTorth Carolina for the season of 
1906. About seven weeks were spent in the field in examining the 
location of nets, taking account of the run and catch of shad, and 
making notes on the general fishing conditions in all the sounds and 
rivers flowing into them. 

The condition of the fishing industry in 1906 is compared with 
previous years, and shows that this particular fishing industry is 
on a decline in ISTorth Carolina, and that unless some steps are taken 
to remove the causes, it would be but a few years before the shad- 
fishing industry would be at a very low ebb, if not a thing of the past. 

This report is published as an Economic Paper of the JSTorth Caro- 
lina Geological Survey, with the permission of the United States 
Bureau of Fisheries, in order that it could be made of more use in 
connection with the deliberations of the committee recently ap- 
pointed by the Geological Board to investigate the general condition 
of all fishing industries throughout eastern JSTorth Carolina. 

Joseph Hyde Peatt^ 

State Geologist. 



INVESTIGATIONS RELATIVE TO THE SHAD EISH- 
ERIES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



By JOHN N. COBB. 



INTRODUCTION. 

Pursuant to orders dated March 3, 1906, directing me to make 
certain investigations relative to the shad fisheries of ISTorth Carolina 
for the season of 1906, I left Washington on March 5, and, beginning 
my work on the Cape Fear River, I worked northward, visiting all 
the rivers and sounds where shad are caught. 

Complete data covering the apparatus used in the fisheries were 
secured, but as the season was not yet at an end in any part of the 
State, only general information in regard to the catch of shad was 
secured covering the period up to the time of my visit. 

For some seasons the shad fisheries of the State show a remarkable 
decrease, as is clearly evidenced by the table given herewith (Ta- 
ble I). In this table the catch of shad in each form of apparatus is 
shown for each year for which data are available. According to this 
table the fisheries gradually increased from 1880 to 1897, but from 
that time on the decline was much more rapid than the increase had 
been, as by 1904 the catch had dropped to practically what it was in 
1880. In the seine fisheries 1896 was the banner year, when 
2,131,864 pounds were secured. The decline was very rapid, how- 
ever, as by 1904 the catch amounted to but 345,046 pounds. The 
most productive year for gill-nets was 1897, when 4,916,952 pounds 
were secured, but in 1904 the catch had dropped to 1,147,268 pounds. 
In 1887 the pound-net catch amounted to 389,921 pounds, but by 
1897 it had increased to 2,328,585 pounds. In the face of a re- 
markable increase in the number of nets set since 1897 the catch 
decreased from season to season until in 1904, when the quantity 
secured in pound-nets was 1,647,897 pounds. The catch in minor 
apparatus reached its maximum in 1896 when 245,268 pounds were 
secured. By 1904 the yield in this apparatus had decreased to 
89,548 pounds. 



10 



SHAD FISHEEIES OF IS^OETH CAEOLIXA. 



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State. 



1901. 



Pounds. Value, j Pounds, j Value. 



Florida ■ 

Georgia ■ 

South Carolina j- 

North Carolina ' 

Virginia 6,972,212 

Maryland 3,111.181 

Delaware 1' 367,952 

Pennsylvania 2,982,868 

New Jersey ..4,031,002 

New York 3,432,472 

Connecticut ' 

Rhode Island • 

Massachusetts ' 

Maine " 

New Hampshire 

Total 



1904, 



Pounds. Value. 



% — . i 1,819,431 $124,760 

1,029,050: 75,189; 

434,133 20,782 

6,566,724 3S4,808 3,229,759 312,950 

366,203 7,419,899 439,625 



120,602 

56,605 ' 



124,328 

475,202 
110,682 



2,912,249 159,772 

951,020 I 67,928 

835,544 52,472 

4,337,907 238,517 

498,119 36,826 



479,780 
30,786 
21,247 

848|999 



26,003 
2,465 
1,137 

28,959 



Table II.- 



-Slwwing by States the catch of Shad ft 



or certain years. 





1880. 


1887. 


1888. 


1889. 


1890. 


1891. 


1896. 


1897. 


1901. 


1902. 


1904. 




Pounds. 


Value. 


Pounds. 


Value. 


Pounds. 


Value. 


Pounds. 


Value. 


Pounds. 


Value. 


Pounds. 


Value. 


Pounds. 


Value. 


Pounds. 


Value. 


Pounds. 


Value. 
$ 


Pounds. 


Value. 


Pounds. 


Value. 


■da 


251,700 

262,000 

207,600 

3,221,263 

3,171,963 

3,769,426 

1,050,000 

559,600 

760,000 

2,733,600 

1«18,032 

48,100 

164,624 

580,319 

6,417 


$ 20,136 

17,941 

12,432 

329,669 

134,496 

140,326 

62,600 

27,980 

35,000 

136,680 

65,902 

2,405 

8,226 

11,876 

321 




$ 

IS, 760 

22,840 

298,069 

172,272 

146,961 

47,629 

76,175 

308,147 

131,477 

23,718 

1,247 

4,760 

27,330 

4 


1,448,000 

263,200 

432,800 

6,630,709 

8,106,823 

6,595,736 

1,389,216 

1,387,200 

6,523,447 

3,445,639 

282,077 

17,400 

260,086 

839,256 

80 


$ 89,630 

19,000 

27,050 

292,409 

376,944 

218,230 

61,999 

76,942 

307,411 

160,882 

18,427 

1,213 

7,613 

24,368 

3 


2,061,033 
356,352 
677,457 

6,356,386 


$ 98,439 
27,000 
42,696 
280,198 


2,664,022 
399,660 
663,269 
6,768,413 
7,266,207 
7,127,486 
1,797,218 
2,898,551 
10,622,719 
3,776,975 


$104,283 
30,918 
41,187 
306,016 
228,897 
242,909 
66,812 
131,226 
409,659 
190,180 




$ 


1,298,606 

636,627 

671,613 

8,842,708 

11,170,519 

5,541,499 

1,993,294 

2,601,143 

13,909,826 

2,200,546 

261, 190 

52,761 

114,162 

1,404,477 


$ 62,589 
49,289 
33,436 
417,243 
307,055 
166,651 
69,260 
79,446 
340,056 
74,833 
14,082 
3,690 
3,236 
30,778 


1,011,180 
787,560 
606,125 

8,963,488 


$41,672 
46,705 
27,696 

362,811 


1,819,431 

1,029,060 

434,133 

6.666,724 


$124,760 
75,189 
20,782 
384,808 








255,200 

365,772 

4,746,226 

•3,815,126 

14,040,820 

1,270,492 

1,423,962 

6,494,957 

3,686,740 

377,090 

16,700 

132,619 

1,095,720 

30 




$ 


South Carolina 
























3,229,769 

7,419,899 

2,912.249 

961,020 

836,544 

4,337,907 

498,119 







6,498,242 
6,224,873 
1,500,196 
2,692,864 
10,226,455 
3,044,956 


207,394 
211,575 
64,699 
128,274 
443,438 
161,209 


6.972,212 
3.111,181 
1.367,952 
2,982,868 
14,031,002 
3,432,472 


366,203 
120,602 


312,950 












439,625 




1,498,653 

2,752,672 

10,423,672 

4,332,632 

195,862 

16,650 

234,324 

887,800 

88 


64,903 

126,717 

372,543 

217,988 

16,580 

1,149 

7,362 

18,687 

3 






" 




169,772 








124,328 
476,202 
110,682 


















62,472 




















479,780 
30,786 
21,247 

848,'999 


26,003 
2.466 
1,137 

28,959 


36,826 


d 


















































































! 








18,074,634 


995,790 






35,621,668 


1,662,121 






■ 








60,498,860 


1,651,443 






— . 
































' 









* Potomac and James Rivers not included. 



t That portion of the Potomac River in Maryland is not included. 



^ 


orth Carolina in 18 


• 










Seines. 




• 


Number. 


Length. 
Yards. 








._. $ 




; 


2 
26 
12 


100 
985 
560 






13 
7 

7 


3,790 
460 
460 






16 
11 


9,135 
1,320 




^ 


























3 


7,450 














1 


100 






















4 

8 


4,400 
5,575 






110 


34,335 1 








• 























Table lll.—Slatement 


by Water Areas, of the Apparatus Employed in the Shad Maheries of North Carolina in 1896, im and me. 






























1896. 


1904. 


1906. 


Waters. 


Drift Gill-Nets. 


Stake and Anchored 
Gill-Nets. 


Pound-Nets, 


Seines. 


Minor 
Apparatus. 


Drift Gill-Neta. 


Stake and Anchored 
Gill-Nets. 


Pound-Nets. 


Seines. 


Minor 
Apparatus. 


Drift Gill-Nets. 


Stake and Anchond ' -, j x, . 
Gill-Nets. 1 Pound-Nets. 


Seines. 


Minor 




Number. 


Length. 
Yards. 


Value. 


Number. 


Length. 
Yards. 


Value. 


Number. 


Value. 


Number. 


Length. 
Yards. 


Value. 


Number. 


Value. 


Number. 


Length. 
Yards. 


Value. 


Number. 


Length. 
Yards. 


Value. 


Number. 


Value. 


Number. 


Length. 
Yards. 


Value. 


Number. 


Value. 


Number. 


¥a"r?^ Value. 


Number. 


Length. 
Yards. 


Value, 


Number. 


Value. 


Number. 


Length. 
Yards. 


Value. 


Number. 


Value. 


Cape Fear River and tributaries: j 

Below Black River i 113 

Above Black River 99 


21,010 Is 3,634 
2,692 691 







$ 





S- 


6 


346 


* - 

322 


124 


% 

330 


90 
89 
26 
13 


19,680 
2,478 
1,440 
1,097 


$ 3,206 
604 
286 
200 


175 


2,100 


$ 710 




$ 






% 





S 


110 
85 
28 
13 


29,830 % 4,895 

2,256 442 

2,720 I 544 

990 ■ 200 


500 


6,070 


S 1,180 




S 


..„_^.. 




S 




S 


Black River 

North East River - 12 


1,620 


410 















21 

n 


630 
902 


436 
481 


60 


150 













26 
12 


985 
560 


700 
335 


61 


148 












22 

17 


625 
612 
910 


.475 
670 
770 


65 

31 




140 
91 


Neuse River and tributaries: 


38 4,280 


676 


3,240 

6 

• 178 


64,809 

132 

1,804 


3,686 
18 
241 


87 


10,378 


8S 
12 
10 
2 
40 
10 


18,880 
826 
623 
130 

18,085 
1,246 


6,361 
331 
383 
78 

6,933 
806 


185 
267 
70 
17 
22 
98 


530 
705 
178 
48 
66 
239 


10 


940 


150 


3,600 
12 
100 


65,725 

220 

1,060 


67,786 

4,166 
16 
113 


474 
77 


46,050 
6,930 


13 
7 
7 


3,790 
460 
460 


1,410 
230 
300 


26 
170 
44 


78 


20. 


! \ 19,483 

2,200 ' 60 3,232 


255.442 
64,640 


29,409 
3,513 


678 
170 


68,005 ! 

19,850 j 17 


5,100 
530 
255 


L.„. 

3,340 ! 15 
435 ( 117 
245 j 8 


45 










8 










I 






Contentnea River 1 




















480 
30 

30,000 


72 

S 




800 




















121 


12 1,200 ! 120 1 1,600 




1 




i 
3,950 j 






23 2,300 197 840 i 16,800 


985 


27 


3,325 


12 


1,240 


146 


1,315 


25,032 


1,174 


.90 


18,520 


16 
11 


9,135 
1,320 


3,365 
755 


12 
174 


34 
417 


1,925 


165 




Tar River - - 


16,500 


12 1 7,600 
9 j 1,630 




Pungo River 


' 




















34 

200 
43 




1 






24 
190 





1,100 60 1 120 






5,625 
225 


108,420 
4,600 


7,516 
281 


140 
3 


10,825 
300 


1 


2,300 


3,000 












2,550 
1,950 


43,900 
35,100 


3,825 
2,925 


20,000 














1,478 
270 


26,604 
5,400 


2,012 
270 


18,275 




























! 


j 








































i 






1 


13,913 
















56,215 


4 


10,000 


12,500 












12,909 


265,240 


22,862 


714 
14 
44 
26 

136 
62 


76,100 
700 


3 


7,450 


14,000 






j 





13,215 






661 
13 
47 
22 

147 
46 
6 

872 


71,700 
650 
4,700 
1,100 
7,350 
2,300 
250 
62,720 












































1,800 


1 
125 [ 17 


1,550 


4 


4,650 


3,630 


10 


20 








20 
40 
210 


360 

720 

3,780 


20 
60 
315 


















' 




- 


:::±:::: 






i 










1,300 
6,800 
2,600 


1 


100 


25 












[ 












765 


14,295 


1,032 


71 


6,075 


2 


2,300 


2,600 




















240 


4,320 360 
































- 1 






















































- — -|. 




i 1 















447 


29,530 


8 
8 


9,740 
6,059 


12,600 
6,100 






99 

7 


1,782 
420 


248 
10 


60 


1,200 


90 


833 


52,900 


4 
8 


4,400 
5,575 


5,600 
6,800 






102 
8 


1,836 
480 


255 1 120 
12 - 


2,160 1 180 








Roanoke River 


IS 1,440 
377 j 34,682 


270 


15 


300 


45 


510 


2,640 


126 


1,090 


9 6,575 1 8,000 


114 


983 


Total 


6,063 


57,787 


1,103,872 


73,874 


1,575 


132,083 


230 


76,658 


56.661 


1,353 


4,806 


346 


29,077 


4,849 


62,941 


1,159,217 


94,062 


2,837 


243,660 


110 


34,335 


33,595 


656 


2,460 


378 


41,512 


6,528 


40,089 


782,737 


69,650 


3,088 


278,060 


109 


33,687 


34,398 


410 


2,513 





Minor Apparatus. 


Total. 




Number. 


Value. 


Number. 


Value. 












Cape Fear Ri 






1— 


S 


48,487 


$ 14,749 


Below Blac 






Above Blac 


1,620 


585 


7,989 


2,952 


Black Rive 


2,300 


846 


10,449 
6,442 


3,778 
2,353 


North East 












347,293 


139,343 


Pamlico Sour 








Neuse Rive 










Below Co 


1,360 


529 


33,738 


10,474 


Above Co 


3,324 


1,280 


4,526 


1,728 


Contentn 


771 


260 


3,191 


1,178 


Little Riv 










Pamlico Ri^ 


1,480 


575 


40,671 


12,728 


Tar Rivei 


3,620 


1,270 


5,442 
3,864 


2,004 
1,251 


Pungo Rive 














77,758 


34,261 


Croatan Soun 














4,285 


1,990 


Roanoke Sour 














178,886 


64,650 


Albemarle So 














700 


295 


North Rivei 














1,230 


442 


Pasquotank 














890 


389 


Little River 














12,250 


4,010 


Perquimans 















4,000 


1,280 


Yeopim Riv 














18,754 


6,226 


Chowan Riv 








Roanoke Ri\ 


6,390 


4,336 


14,810 


6,869 


Total — 


20,865 


9,681 


825,555 


312,950 





Table IV .—Statement, 


by Water Areas and Apparatus, of the Number and Value of Shad 


Taken 


in Nortl 


Carolina in 1896 and 1904. 

















1896. 






1904. . 








Waters. 


Drift GiU-Ncts. 


Stake and Anchor 
Gill-Net3. 


Pound-Nets. 


Seines. 


Minor Apparatus 

1 ■ 


Total. 


Drift Gill-Nets. 


Stake and Anchor 
Gill-Nets. 


Pound-Nets. 


Seines. 


Minor Apparatus 


Total. 




Number. 


Value. 


Number. 


Value. 


Number. 


Value. 


Number. 


Value. 


' Number. 


Value. 


Number. 


Value. 


Number. 


Value. 


Number. 


Value. 


Number. 


Value. 


Number. 


Value. 


Number. 


Value. 


Number. 


Value. 


Cape Fear River and tributaries: 


46,372 
6,376 


511,383 
1,684 


















46,372 
12,762 
6,130 
11,051 
448,089 

181,634 
17,999 
7,033 
486 
64,282 
12,800 


$11,333 
3,442 
1,567 
2,622 

109,727 

33,080 

4,147 

1,731 

109 

10,679 
2,637 


41,170 
6,229 
4,424 
2,192 


$12,464 
2,314 


7,317 


$2,285 




$ 


140 
3,726 
4,260 


J 

63 
1,379 
1,590 


1,620 
2,300 


S 

686 
846 


48,487 
7,989 

10,449 

6,442 

347,293 

33,738 
4,526 
3,191 




Above Black River 










668 
3,745 
6,989 


200 

968 

1,689 






$ 14,749 


Black River 










2,386 j 609 










2,962 


North EastRiver 1 


4,062 


1,033 


i - 






763 










3,778 


Pamlico Sound 


387,236 1 96,249 

23,118 1 3,811 
824 j 208 


60,863 
22,471 


13,478 
3,902 




1 „ ,„ 


225,677 
7,392 


91,598 
1,'983 






2,353 


Neuse River and tributaries: 
Below Contentnea River 


18,485 


3,244 


105,210 
6,108 
2,573 
186 
32,178 
6,516 


19,222 
1,340 
633 
44 
6,161 
1,278 


12,260 
11,067 
1,919 
300 
1,010 
6,285 


2,901 
2,699 

437 
65 

209 
1,359 


800 


280 


18,514 
206 
910 


6,600 
78 
338 


5,672 

996 

1,610 


2,182 
370 
680 


1,360 
3,324 

771 


529 

1,280 

260 


139,343 
10,474 




1 
















Little River- 






















Pamlico River 


6,221 


1,139 


8,114 


1,632 


7,769 


1,538 


3,700 


1,133 


6,576 


1,914 


19,076 


6,797 


9,840 
1,822 


3,309 
734 


1,480 
3,620 


675 
1,270 


40,671 

5,442 

3,864 

77,758 

4,286 

178,886 

700 

1,230 

890 

12,250 

4,000 

18,764 

14,810 










1 


1 














3,864 
72,860 

2,726 

69,348 

700 

1,100 

460 

10,500 

4,000 
13,869 


1,251 

32,096 

1,241 

24,666 

296 

385 

203 


1,261 

34,261 

1,990 

64,660 

296 

442 

389 

4,010 

1,280 






68,626 14,006 

6,000 1,084 

429,599 82,664 


73,834 

2,081 

173,380 


13,925 

386 

32,094 


20,000 


3,800 






162,460 

7,081 

736,192 


31,731 

1,470 

140,159 






4,898 
1,560 
61,954 


2,165 

749 

23,293 






























i 


132,213 


25,401 











47,084 


16,692 








1 

















1,000 190 


2,840 


460 


4,642 


893 


275 


66 


8,757 


1,599 






130 

350 

1,760 


57 
148 
650 




1 














90 


38 












12,424 { 2,380 


12,718 


2,417 


7,680 


1,602 






32,822 


6,299 










Y 














1,280 
4,295 











600 
4,000 


97 
480 




122,695 


22,490 


60,450 


11,835 






183,545 


34,422 


760 
220 


430 
68 


250 


33 


3,886 
8,200 


1,418 
2,465 








6.100 1,195 


16,600 


2,771 


6,390 


4,336 
























83,016 


18,910 


944,582 204,080 


478,531 


90,690 { 632,966 { 90,899 


67,710 


12,664 


2,036,804 1417,243 


69,485 


19,006 


226,031 I 86,005 


432,060 


168,449 


87,214 


30,810 


20,865 


9,631 









SHAD FISHERIES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 11 

Unfortunately, the clecrease in the shad fisheries has not been con- 
fined to Xorth Carolina alone, as is amply evidenced by the table 
on paji'e 10, in Avhich is shown for certain years the quantity and 
value of shad produced in each State on the Atlantic coast in which 
the shad fisheries are prosecuted. When data for certain States are 
not presented it indicates that the fisheries of that State were not 
canvassed by the Bureau for the year in question. According to 
Table IT, all States, with the exception of Florida, Georgia, and 
Ehode Island (none of which have been canvassed since 1902, since 
which year the greatest decreases appear to have occurred), show 
large decreases since 1896, the fisheries of New Jersey alone having 
dropped from 13,909,826 pounds in 1896 to 4,337,907 pounds in 
1904, a decrease of 7,571,919 pounds. 

The tw^o preceding tables (III and IV) show by water area the 
apparatus employed in the shad fisheries of JSTorth Carolina for the 
years 1896, 1904, and 1906 ; also the catch by each form of apparatus 
in 1896 and 1904. The most notable feature of the first table is the 
increasing use of pound-nets in the fisheries. In 1896 there were 
1,575; in 1904, 2,837; and in 1906, 3,088. In 1896 there were 
57,787 stake and anchored gill-nets employed in the shad fisheries. 
By 1904 the number had increased to 62,941, but by 1906 it had 
dropped to 40,089. Seines show a heavy decrease, having dropped 
from 230 in 1896 to 110 in 1904 and 109 in 1906. These tables 
have been discussed more in detail under the respective headings of 
the water areas. 

In the following pages the condition of the shad-fishing industry 
along the various rivers and sounds is taken up under each river and 
sound, beginning with the Cape Fear River and its tributaries and 
extending northward. 

CAPE FEAR RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES. 

This is the most southern river which is wholly within the State. 
The main Cape Fear is navigable to Fayetteville, 145 miles from 
the ocean. This is also about the limit of the commercial fisheries 
for shad. In showing the data gathered during the season of 1906 
the river has been divided into two sections — the Wilmington sec- 
tion, from the mouth of the river to the entrance of Black River, 15 
miles above Wilmington, and the upper section, from the Black 
River to several miles above Fayetteville — for the purpose of com- 
parison with the previous years. 



12 SHAD FISHERIES OF JSTOKTH CAROLINA. 

THE WILMIJSrGTON" SECTION. 

In this section drift and stake gill-nets are employed exclusively. 

The stake-nets are restricted to the east side of the river in New 
Hanover County, and as th-ey must not api3roach the western shore 
nearer than a half mile, and are prohibited above the entrance of 
Brunswick River, they are practically confined to that section of the 
river between its mouth and the entrance of the Brunswick Biver. 
Although nets have in previous seasons been set as high as a little 
above the upper end of Campbell Island, in 1906 the uppermost net 
was located one mile above Doctors Boint, while the lowermost net 
was s^t oif the eastern end of Battery Island, near the mouth of the 
river. The greater part of the nets are between Bederal Boint and 
Doctors Boint, where the river is the widest. According to law, the 
following rules prevail in setting these nets : 

"They shall begin at a point 100 yards from the edge of the chan- 
nel on the east side of said river and, running thence due east 120 
yards, then leaving a gap of 120 yards. Then from the east end of 
said gap another net may be set 120 yards only, and to continue in 
the- same proportion, always requiring a gap of 120 yards to inter- 
vene between each 120 yards of nets so set, and no net or sets of nets 
of any kind shall be placed opposite said gaps, within a distance of a 
half mile of same, and none of the nets so set shall be nearer than a 
half a mile of the west shore of said Cape Fear River." 

The set-nets , operated are about 12 yards long, with S^/o-inch 
stretch mesh, and about 50 meshes deep. The largest number owned 
by any one man was 75. About two-thirds of the nets are in the 
water at one time, the others being on shore to be dried, cleaned, and 
repaired. Considerable complaint is made that the set-netters do not 
work their nets often enough, and as a result the fish are eaten by 
eels and crabs or washed out of the nets at the change of the tide. 
During 1906, 500 set-nets, with a total length of 6,0Y0 yards, and a 
value of $1,180, were set. This was an increase of 325 over 1904. 
ISTone were operated in 1896. 

Drift-Nets.— In this section of the river drift-nets are operated from 
a short distance above the Quarantine Station to Dollison, fi/o miles 
below the mouth of Black River. Below Wilmington, where the 
river is much wider than above, the nets range from 200 to 425 yards 
in length, have 514-inch stretch mesh, and are from 40 to 60 meshes 
deep. Above Wilmington they are about 150 yards long, with 5^- 



SHAD laSllKKIES OF JMOKTIL CAUOLIAA. 13 

inch stretch mesh, and are GO meshes deep. The drift-nets operated 
in the Brunswick Kiver (this being a thoroughfare about 12 miles in 
length which leaves the Cape Fear River about 4 miles above Wil- 
mington and re-euters it 1 or 5 miles below that city) average 130 
yards in length, with 5l/^-incli stretch mesh, and are from 30 to 40 
meshes deep. During 1906, 110 drift-nets, with a total length of 
29,830 yards, and valued at $4,895, were operated in this section, as 
compared with 90 nets operated in 1904 and 113 in 1896. In the 
latter year, however, much shorter nets were employed. 

According to law, no drift-net longer than 300 yards can be oper- 
ated in this section of the river ; but this appears to be '^'more honored 
in the breach than in the observance" in the portion below Wilming- 
ton. The same is true of the law forbidding the catching of '"any 
fish in the waters of the Cape Tear River from its mouth to the 
Bladen County line * * * between six o'clock P. M. on Tues- 
day and six o'clock P. M. on Wednesday." While I was in Wil- 
mington (in March) the fishermen were much exercised over a rumor 
that the authorities of Brunswick County were going to enforce the 
law, but those on the I^ew Hanover County side seemed to have no 
fear on that score. 

One bad feature of the drift gill-netting below Wilmington is that 
the nets are run too close together and cover too much of the channel. 

The total catch of shad in this section of the river, including also 
the ]^orth East River below Three Cypresses, for certain seasons has 
been as follows: In 1889, about 70,000 fish; in 1890, 60,695; in 
1891, 55,976; in 1896, 49,434; and in 1904, 48,487. In the latter 
year 41,170 shad were taken in drift-nets and 7,317 in set-nets. In 
1890, 108 drift-nets were employed; 115 in 1891; 125 in 1896; 90 
in 1904, and 115 in 1906. This gives an average per net of 562 
shad in 1890; 487 in 1891, 363 in 1896, and 457 in 1904. As the 
catch of set-nets is available for one season only (1904), no compari- 
sons can be made in regard to it. 

Up to the time of my departure from this river (about the middle 
of March) but few shad had been secured. Most of the dealers and 
fishermen thought the season up to that time had been better than 
the season of 1905 during the same period, but all seemed to be agreed 
that the 1905 season was the worst they had ever experienced. Ad- 
vices received as late as April 28 are to the effect that the season as a 
whole has been better than that of 1905. 



14 SHAD FISHERIES OF NOETH CAEOLUsTA. 

FEOM BLACK EIVEE TO FAYETTEVILLE. 

In this section of the river bow-nets and drift gill-nets predomi- 
nate. In 1906, 85 drift-nets of a total length of 2,256 yards, and 
valued at $442 ; 65 bow-nets, "valued at $140 ; and 5 seines with total 
length of 625 yards, and valued at $670, were employed. The drift- 
nets were from 24 to 30 yards in length, with 5%-inch stretch mesh, 
and were about 22 meshes deep. The bow-nets in use were about 
"8 feet in diameter. The haul-seines averaged about 125 yards in 
length. The principal drift-net regions are from Kelley Cove to 
Elizabethtown, a distance of 35 miles, and from Finney's Bluff to 
Fayetteville, a distance of about 106 miles. In 1896 the lowest 
seine-beach on this river was at Prospect Hall, but in 1906 three were 
operated below this point — one each at Lloyds Landing, Grays Point, 
and Gastons Landing. At Prospect Hall two seines are operated in 
the busy season, one following closely after the other at the one shore. 
'No seine-shores were operated above Prospect Hall in 1906, although 
in 1896 there were 3 in operation. The Powers fishery, located a 
short distance above Fayetteville, which was operated for a number 
of years, was abandoned several years ago upon the death of its owner, 
Mr. E. P. Powers. Above Fayetteville a few drift-nets, finger-traps, 
and bow-nets are operated occasionally, but mainly for home con- 
sumption, and no effort was made to secure data as to their num- 
ber, etc. 

In this section of the river in 1896 gill-nets took 5,3Y5 shad; 
seines, 668, and bow-nets, 6,719 — a total of 12,762. In 1904 gill- 
nets secured 6,229 shad; seines, 140; bow-nets, 1,620 — a total of 
7,989, thus showing a decrease, as compared with 1896, of 4,773 
shad. 

Up to and during my stay on this river very few fish were being 
taken by the fishermen in gill-nets, while the seines were unable to 
operate owing to the high water which had prevailed for some time. 

It is against the law for any person to use more than one seine at 
any shore on the northeast branch of the Cape Fear River, and I 
would recommend that the same be made to apply to the Cape Fear 
itself. 

BLACK EIVEE. 

This river, which flows into the Cape Fear about 15 miles above 
Wilmington, is quite narrow, ranging in width from 350 feet near 



SHAD FISHERIES OF NOKTH CAKOLINA. 15 

the lower end to 100 feet 50 miles above. About 53 miles from its 
month the South or South Black EiA^er enters it. But few shad go 
up the South Iviver, however. About 84 miles from its mouth the 
Black River receives the Six Runs, up which there is a considerable 
shad run each season. Lisbon, 85 miles from the mouth, is the head 
of navigation during high water. As there are no falls on the Black 
River, shad can ascend to the uppermost limits. 

Drift gill-nets, seines, and bow-nets comprise the apparatus em- 
ployed in the shad fisheries. The drift gill-net reaches are from the 
mouth to Point Caswell, about 20 miles, and from Herring Landing 
to Canty Cove Landing, about 6 miles. In the former reach the nets 
are from 100 to 150 yards in length and in the latter are about 15 
yards' in length, all having a stretch mesh of 5% inches. The seines 
range from 25 to 40 yards in length. Most of these are hired out by 
the day to persons who may wish to secure a supply of shad for home 
use, the usual compensation being $2 for either a night or a day. 
The bow-nets are operated mainly on the Six Runs. Owing to the 
lack of convenient markets the fishing on this river is very desultory. 
In 1896 there were operated 21 seines and 60 bow-nets; in 1904, 26 
drift gill-nets, 26 seines, and 61 bow-nets, and in 1906, 28 drift gill- 
nets, 22 seines, and 31 boW-nets. In 1896 the catch with seines 
amounted to 3,745 shad, and with bow-nets 2,385, a total of 6,130. 
In 1904 the drift gill-net catch amounted to 4,424 shad; the seine 
catch to 3,725 shad, and the bow-net catch to 2,300 — a total of 
10,449, a gain of 4,319 over 1896. This gain is due almost en- 
tirely to the employment of drift gill-nets in 1904, none being used 
in 1896. 

At present it is unlawful to operate fishing-gear in the Black 
River, within the limits of Pender County, "between six o'clock 
P. M. on Tuesday and six o'clock P. M. on Wednesday." It is also 
forbidden to fish "in that part of Black River in Sampson and Cum- 
berland counties and below the Atlantic Coast Line Railway bridge, 
* * * otherwise than with hook- and line." * * * It is also 
forbidden to operate nets in the Black River and its tributaries "be- 
tween the 15th days of May and August of each year." These laws 
seem to be all that are needed on this river. 



16 SHAD FISPIEKIES OF KORTH CAROLISTA. 

JSTOKTH EAST EIVEK. 

This river, which is about 120 miles in length, rises in the north- 
east portion of Duplin County and empties into the Cape Fear at 
Wilmington. It is navigable for small steamers as high up as Halls- 
ville, a distance of 89 miles. A few fishermen from Wilmington and 
points along the shore operate drift-nets from the mouth to Castle 
Hayne, a distance of 27 miles; these nets being about 150 yards in 
length, 5l4"iiich stretch mesh, and about 60 meshes deep. A few drift- 
nets are also operated in the vicinity of Eocky Point, about 35 miles 
from the mouth. The greater part of the fishing, however, is car- 
ried on with seines. These are operated from Krooms Bridge, 56 
miles from the mouth,, to Kornegays Bridge, a distance of 103 miles 
frora the mouth. In 1896 there were operated on this river 12 drift 
gill-nets and 17 seines; in 1904, 13 drift gill-nets and 12 seines; and 
in 1906, 13 drift gill-nets and 17 seines. A number of seine-beaches 
have not been worked for some years now, owing to the scarcity of 
fish. In 1896 the number of shad taken in gill-nets was 4,062, and in 
seines, 6,989 — a total of 11,051. In 1904 the catch of shad in gill- 
nets was 2,192, and in seines 4,250 — a total of 6,442, or a decrease 
of 4,609. Up to the time of my visit to this river in March almost no 
fish had been taken, and what little had been secured were taken by 
gill-nets, as the river had been quite high for some time and the seines 
were unable to operate. 

The following are the laws at present in force on this river : 
"If any person shall fish in the northeast branch of the Cape Fear 
River with seine, net, or trap, from the twenty-third day of Febru- 
ary to the first day of July of any year, between the hours of six 
o'clock P. M. on Saturday and six o'clock P. M. on Monday of each 
week, or shall at any time use more than one seine at a time in any 
fishing-hole in said river, or use, set, or place in said river any hedge, 
trap, or other obstruction which will prevent the free passage of fish 
up said river, which said hedge, trap, or other obstruction shall ex- 
tend more than one-third across the main channel of the said river, 
he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. This section shall not apply 
to that portion of said river which lies between the city of Wilming- 
ton and a point on said river known as The Three Cypresses, 12 
miles distant from said city of Wilmington." 



SIIAl) FrSlIKTJTES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 17 

In that portion of the Xortli Kasi Ivi\'('r in Pender C'onnty, iisliing 
Avith nets is proliibited "between six o'clock V. M. on Tnesday and 
six o'clock P. M. on AVednesday." 

The destruction of hsli by any means, except with hook and line, is 
prohibited in that portion of the jSTorth East River lying in ^ew 
Hanover Connty "between the fifteenth days of May and iViigust of 
each year." 

There does not seem to be any necessity for additional laws cover- 
ing the fisheries of this river. 

PAMLICO SOUND. 

Pamlico Sound is an irregularly shaped body of water running 
jDarallel to the coast line for about one-fourtli of the length of the 
State, being sej^arated from the ocean by a long, narrow sand-beacli 
known as "The Banks." This sound is about 75 miles long, measured 
on a line drawn from the mouth of the jSTeuse River northeastward, 
the greatest width about 25 miles and the average width nearly 20 
miles, the whole covering about 1,660 square miles. At the north end 
it communicates with Albemarle Sound through Roanoke and Croa- 
tan sounds, while on the south it joins Core Sound. Two large riv- 
ers, the Xeuse and Pamlico, enter the sound from the west. Com- 
munication is had with the sea through Oregon, jSTew, Hatteras, and 
Ocracoke inlets, each less than half a mile across. The greatest depth 
of water in the sound is 24 feet, but shoals, especially in the north- 
eastern portion, are numerous. As the river water from about one- 
half of the State, and a part of Virginia, empties into Pamlico 
Sound, it counteracts the effect of the natural ebb and flow of the 
ocean tide, and as a result there are no tides in the sound except 
such as are produced hj heavy winds. During the greater part of 
the year the waters of the sound are salt or brackish, but during 
the season of heavy rains the immense volume of water coming down 
from the rivers makes the water, except in the vicinity of the inlets, 
quite fresh. 

Owing to its extremely favorable location, the shad fisheries of 
this sound are the most important in the State. By far the greater 
part of the fisheries are located in the northeastern portion, where 
the shoals are most numerous, east of a line drawn from Hatteras 
Inlet to Long Shoal Point, almost all of this area being within the 



18 SHAD FISHERIES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 

bounds of Dare County. The fishing is generally carried on from 
temporary camps scattered along and over the sound, the most im- 
portant of these being Roanoke Marshes, Hog Island, Duck Is- 
land, Sandy Point, Rodmans, Baums Slew, Davis House, and Gull 
Island in Dare County, and Swan Point in Carteret County. The 
permanent settlements from which fishing is prosecuted are Stumpy 
Point, Englehard, Manteo, Rhodanthe, Avon, Buxton, Trent, and 
Hatteras, in Dare County, and Hobucken in Pamlico County. 

Stake-nets and pound-nets were almost the sole aj)paratus used in 
the capture of shad in the sound in 1906, but 14 anchored gill-nets 
having been employed. Stake-nets average 18 yards in length, 6 to 
16 feet deep, with 5^ to 5%-inch stretch mesh, and are set in strings' 
comprising a widely varying number. The greater part are set on 
the shoals in the eastern part of the sound, north of E"ew Inlet, the 
Duck Island flats being the favorite spot from about 1894 to 1905, 
when the Vann law comj)elled the greater part of the nets set here to 
be removed. On these flats the depth averages 3 feet and in many 
places is so shoal that the fishermen can wade alongside the nets very 
easily, and thus remove the fish. The nets set in the sound are gen- 
erally allowed to remain in the whole season, as they do not seem to 
rot or foul as in the fresh water. The season for gill-nets is generally 
from the first week in February to about the middle of April. The 
gill-netters of this region have had a number of disastrous seasons of 
late years, owing largely to the unusual clearness of the water ; but 
up to the middle of March of the 1906 season gill-nets had secured 
nearly all of the few shad taken up to that time. As remarkably 
good prices were obtained for these, it is probable that the gill-netters 
ended the season with a balance on the profit side. During the sea- 
son of 1906, 19,483 stake and anchored (14 of the latter style) gill- 
nets, with an aggregate length of 255,442 yards, and a total value of 
$29,409, were used. In 1904, 40,000, and in 1896, 24,808 of these 
nets were operated. The drop of 20,517 in two years is partly ex- 
plained by the operation of a new fishery law, which will be discussed 
farther on. These nets, in 1896, took 387,236 shad, while in 1904 
but 121,616 shad were secured, a decrease of 265,620 fish, at the 
same time that there was an increase of 15,192 in the number of nets 
used. This gives an average of almost 16 shad to the net in 1896, and 
only 3 shad to the net in 1904 — almost remarkable falling off. 



SHAD FISHERIES OF NORTH CAROL! A^A. 19 

During the season of 1900 fishing for shad Avitii gili-iiets was jh'os- 
ecutod for the first time off Swan Point, in Carteret County, by 
fishermen from Roe in the same county. Stake gill-nets to the num- 
ber of 709 and 14 anchored gill-nets were used. The stake-nets were 
of the regulation kind operated in the sound, while the anchored nets 
were each about 100 yards in length, 5l/2'iiich stretch mesh, 10 meshes 
deep, and cost about $15 each. A fairly profitable season was had. 

The pound-nets in this region cost about $100 each. The ''pound" 
is generally 10 yards square, the "heart" 45 yards on each side, and 
the "leader" from 50 to 350 yards long. The mesh in the "pound" is 
214 inches, in the "heart" 3 inches, and in the "leader" 4 inches. 
A number of fishermen, however, operate what are known as "shad- 
pounds," the only difference being in the wider mesh of the different 
parts, in order that herring and other small fish may pass through. 
They are generally set from the shore in strings of from 1 to 10, but 
during the last few seasons a number have been set along the outer 
line of shoals in the northeastern part of the sound. The pound-nets 
in this sound have been steadily increasing in number for some years. 
In 1896, 171 were in use; in 1904, 474, while in 1906 the number 
had increased to 678-^a gain of 507 in ten years. The catch of shad 
in pound-nets in 1896 was 60,853 in number, wdiile in 1904 it 
amounted to 225,677 fish- — a gain of 164,824. In 1896 the aver- 
age catch of shad per net was 355, while in 1904 it was 476, thus 
showing a real gain. The season of 1906 was an exceptionally poor 
one for the pound-netters, owing to the muddy water, the fishermen 
claiming that shad will not enter the nets in any number unless they 
are able to see the leader distinctly. 

The Legislature in 1905 passed the following law, commonly known 
as the Vann law, the greater part of which applies exclusively to 
Pamlico Sound: 

Dutch-ITets in Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds.— If any person shall 
set or fish any net, seine, or appliance of any kind for catching fish at any- 
place within a radius of two and one-half miles either way from Roanoke 
Marshes light-house • at a distance more than five hundred yards from the 
shore of Roanoke Island or the mainland on the western side of Croatan and 
Pamlico sounds ; or shall set or fish any pound or dutch-net on the eastern side 
of Pamlico Sound within ten miles of the Roanoke Marshes light-house, 
except such as shall be fished within five hundred yards of the Roanoke 
Island or Hog Island shores ; or shall set or fish any dutch or pound-net on 
the eastern side of Pamlico Sound more than two thousand yards west of a 



20 SHAD FISHERIES OF jSTOETH CAEOLINA. 

line riiuniug sontli-soutbeast from Big Island to Bulkhead or slioal west of Chic- 
amacomico or south, of said point more than two thousand yards from the 
shoals as marked on the United States Government chart, made from data ob- 
tained to November twenty-second, jone thousand nine hundred and four, or shall 
set or fish any dutch or pound-net on the west side of Pamlico Sound in said 
sound extending into the water more than two thousand yards from the 
shore of the mainland ; or shall set or fish any pound or dutch-net in Croatan 
Sound fm'ther from the shore than one-fifth the width of said sound at that 
point ; or shall set or fish any pound or dutch-net in the Albemarle Sound 
more than two thousand yards from the shore of the mainland, or in Chowan 
River further from shore than one-third the width of said river at place where 
said nets are fished or set, or within one-fourth mile of any wharf used by a 
steamer on said river ; or shall set or fish anj^ net or appliance of any kind 
for catching fish within one mile on north or south side of a line five miles 
long running west from. center of New Inlet or Oregon Inlet, or on north or 
south side of a line five miles long running northwest from center of Hat- 
teras Inlet, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and be fined or imprisoned in 
the discretion of the Court. The provisions of this section shall apply only to 
that part of each year beginning January fifteenth and ending May fifteenth. 
The place of trial for offenses under this section shall be the county opposite 
where the act was committed. It shall be the dutj^ of the Oyster Commis- 
sioner or Assistant Oyster Commissioner, whenever an affidavit is delivered to 
him stating that the aflBant is informed and believes that this section is being 
violated at any particular place, to go himself or send a deputy to such place, 
investigate same, and he shall seize and remove all nets or other appliances 
setting or being used in violation of this section, sell same at public auction 
and apply proceeds of sale to payment of cost and expenses of such removal, 
and pay any balance remaining to the school fund of county nearest where 
offense is committed. 

This law, owing to its radical provisions and its far-reaching eiTect 
upon a population devoted almost exclusively to fishing, has met wdth 
considerable opposition as regards certain provisions, in Dare County, 
to which it mainly applies. 

The provision forbidding the setting of nets ''within one mile on 
the north or south side of a line 5 miles long running w^est from 
center of Xew Inlet or Oregon Inlet, or on north or south side of a 
line 5 miles long running northwest from center of Hatteras Inlet" 
meets with almost unanimous approval. Part of this unanimity may 
be due, however, to the fact that at both Oregon and iSTew Inlets the 
channels, a mile or two inside of the inlets, swing to the southeast 
anl leave the closed area, and gill-nets set along them ]3rove quite 
profitable, while at Hatteras Inlet the channel leaves the closed area 
about ly^ miles inside of the inlet, and as there is a shoal just east 
of the line, the fish are forced out towards Hatteras Inlet light where 



SIFAD FISHERIES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 21 

the ]iouii(l-iU'ls aiv located. With the exce])tion of Ilatteras Inlet, no 
ponnd-iicts have, in recent years, been located in this restricted area, 
but large numbers of gill-nets were set in the vicinity of 'New and 
Oregon Inlets, and these have all had to be removed outside the line. 
As gill-net fishing had been uii]n'ofitable for several seasons, a num- 
ber of the dispossessed lishermen abandoned this form of fishing 
altogether this season. 

Other 2)rovisions which meet with general approval are those 
forbidding the setting of nets in Pamlico S'ound off the Roanoke 
Island or Hog Island shores, or more than 2,000 yards from the 
mainland shore on the western side of the sound. A glance at the 
two charts (for 1904 and 1906) showing the nets set in the first- 
named area will show the absolute necessity of the law in question. 
In 1904 the mouth of Croatan Sound was almost entirely blocked by 
the strings of jDOund-nets set off the Marshes shore, around Buntings 
and Big Islands, and in Pamlico Sound a few miles off the Hog 
Island shore. As nearly all of the shad going north pass througii 
Croatan Sound, this arrangement of nets virtually cut off the fish 
from the fishermen of Croatan and Albemarle sounds and the tribu- 
taries of the latter. Under the present law this passage is left en- 
tirely free, and it should ba the first aim of the State to keep it so. 

I found some objection to the provision forbidding the setting of 
nets "within a radius of two and one-half miles either way from 
Roanoke Marshes light-house at a distance more than 500 yards from 
the shore of Roanoke Island or the mainland on the western side of 
Croatan and Pamlico sounds." Under this provision those fisher- 
men who had been setting their nets in the bays just south and north 
of the Marshes, within the restricted area, found themselves cut off 
by the long strings set just without the bounds. As the general de- 
sire was to prevent the setting of long strings in the narrow section 
where Pamlico and Croatan Sounds meet, no harm could result if 
the strings north and south of the Marshes were allowed to extend out 
in an easterly direction to the outer edge of the Marshes. 

The chief objection I found to the law was as to the provision for- 
bidding the setting of "any j)ound or^ dutch-net on the eastern side 
of Pamlico Sound within ten miles of the Roanoke Marshes light- 
house, * * * or shall set or fish any dutch or pound-net on 
the eastern side of Pamlico Sound more than 2,000 yards west of a 
line running south-southeast from Big Island to Bulkhead or shoal 



22 SHAD FISHERIES OF.jSToETH CAROLINA. 

west of Chicamacomico or south of said point more than 2,000 yards 
from the shoals as marked on the United States Government chart 
made from data obtained to l*fovember twenty-second, one thousand 
nine hundred and four." The principal point urged against this law 
was that it forced the fishermen so far down in the sound that they 
were compelled to employ power boats to go and return, while their 
employees had to work longer hours, and as a result many refused to 
work on these strings and sought employment with those better situ- 
ated. As only a few nets can be set in the restricted area around the 
South end of Roanoke Island and Hog Island, and as the unrestricted 
areas in the vicinity were already occupied, some of the pound- 
netters have had to go as far south as Gull Island on the eastern side 
and to Middletown, in Hyde County, on the western shore. It is 
really questionable whether it is necessary for the preservation of 
the fisheries to block off such a large area. It should be stated, how- 
ever, that a few fishermen (but none in the area affected) feel that 
this provision of the laAv is a necessary one. Should this area be 
thrown open again it might be well to hold the strings down to the 
2,000-yard leng-lh, and also require that each string be set in practi- 
cally a straight east and west line, with the hearts all opening in. one 
direction. This would do away with the triangles and hooks now so 
popular, and give the shad a better chance for their lives. 

Although stakes had been put in showing the restricted area to ten 
miles from the light, I found a number of strings set almost up to 
the 21/2-mile area from the Roanoke Marshes light. A few fisher- 
men lived strictly up to the law, very much to their financial loss. 
In the other restricted areas I found the law very generally obeyed. 

The pound-netters south of Chicamacomico complain bitterly be- 
cause of the law restricting them to 2,000 yards from the shoals. 
From Hatteras Inlet the ''Banks" run in an almost due east course 
to Cape Hatteras, and from there they take a north and easterly 
course. The widest ^^ai't of the sound is from the inside of Cape 
Hatteras to Long Shoal Point on the western shore, nearly 25 
miles, and as the shoals on the eastern side do not extend out more 
than 6 or 7 miles, this leaves an area nearly 20 miles wide in 
which pound-nets cannot be set. The angle of the "Banks" makes 
a bight in this section in which shad are found in but slight num- 
bers, as the fish from Hatteras Inlet go up the Sound some miles 
to the westward. But little, if any, damage would be done by remov- 



SHAD FISHERIES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 23 

iiig all restrictions on the eastern side below Gull Island (except 
around ITatteras Inlet), as but few fishermen would set nets out near 
the middle of the sound, owing to tlic distance from camps and the 
danger of damage to their nets during the usually stormy spring 
months when fishing is carried on. 

A few of the pound-net fishermen suggested to me that it would 
be much better for the shad fisheries if the pound-nets set in Pamlico 
and Croatan sounds were all of what is kno'svn as "shad-poimd" 
mesh. This would allow the alewives and small fish to escape, and 
as the pound-netters in this region are after shad principally, not 
having the labor available to handle alewives profitably, it would 
allow all of the latter and also all other small fish to escape. If 
this were done in the fall it would allow the young shad to escape, 
and thus prevent the destruction now going on in the latter species 
during the fall fishing. 

Some fishermen claim that shad frequently spawn in Pamlico 
Sound. While this might occur under unusual conditions, such as 
extreme freshness of the waters of the sound or long-continued cold 
winds from the northwest, it would be an exceptional occurrence un- 
der ordinary conditions, as is shown by the large numbers which go 
ujD into Albemarle Sound, the favorite spawning gTound of the shad ; 
also by the fact that the pound-netters report the catch of but few 
shad in a ripe condition. 

An impression exists among some of the fishermen that shad win- 
ter in the sounds, and in confirmation of this they point to the fact 
that shad are very rarely seen going through the inlets, which would 
be an easy matter to observe in daylight, owing to the clearness of 
the water in these narrow places, and also that shad taken in gill- 
nets near the inlets are generally found with their heads pointing 
towards the ocean, thus showing that they had gilled on the far side 
of the net. This contention is not borne out, however, by the expe- 
rience of those pound-netters who set their nets in the sound during 
the fall months. While quite young shad are frequently taken in 
these, it is rare to find a mature one in them. It is also probable that 
shad are not observed coming through the inlets, as at that time they 
have not yet begun to school, and it is also probable that many come 
through at night. 



24 SHAD FISHEEIES OF ISrOETH CAEOLIjSTA. 

NEUSE RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES. 

The IsTeuse River is formed in Durham County, jST. C, bv the 
junction of the Eno, Flat, and Little rivers, and from that point to 
'New Bern is a distance, following the windings of the stream, of 
260 miles. In the 40 miles of river below ISTew Bern it widens very 
much and becomes virtually a broad arm of Pamlico Sound. Its 
]3rincipal tributaries are the Trent, Contentnea, and Little rivers. 
Formerly, shad ascended this river to its uppermost limits, and ex- 
tensive fisheries are said to have existed near Raleigh, 190 miles 
from ISTew Bern. At j)resent, however, commercial fishing does not 
extend above Goldsboro, although considerable fishing for home use 
is prosecuted above that city. For purpose of comparison with the 
canvass of 1896 the shad fisheries of this river are divided into two 
geographical sections, viz.: (1) the lower, 72 miles from Pamlico 
Sound to Contentnea River, and (2) from Contentnea River to the 
headwaters. 

FKOM THE MOUTH TO CONTENTIVEA EIVEE. 

From ISTew Bern to the mouth, the river ranges in width from 
6 to 1% miles, and from ISTew Bern to the Contentnea it is from 250 
to 80 feet wide at low water. The forms of apparatns used in this 
section of the river are seines, drift and stake gill-nets, pound-nets, 
and bow-nets. All but a few of the seines are operated at regular 
beaches, the others being hauled at places where it seemed fishing 
would be most successful. In 1896 there were 5 seines operated for 
shad on the river between i^ew Bern and the mouth; in 1906 there 
was but 1 nsed. This seine was 1,000 yards in length, 14 feet deep, 
with stretch-mesh of 21/2 inches in the bunt, and from 2-% to 3 
inches in the balance. It was hauled by 6 men and 2 mules. The 
seine at Johnsons Point was operated at a loss in 1905 and then 
abandoned. Between ISTew Bern and Cowpen Landing 9 seine- 
beaches (1 on Bachelors Creek), with 11 seines, were operated in 
1906. At two of the beaches 2 seines each were operated in the 
busy season. The seines in this reach range from 150 to 300 yards 
in leno'th. In the whole section from the mouth to Contentnea River 
there were lY seines operated in 1906 as compared with 13 in 1904 
and 86 in 1896. The catch of shad in these seines amounted to 
105,210 in 1896 and 5,672 in 1904, a decrease of 99,538 fish. 



SHAD FISHERIES OF NORTH CAROLINA, 25 

The stake <;ill-iiets used in the Xense River are set in strini>,s of 
abont 20 each. They are each about 20 yards long, 5i/4-inch stretch 
inesh, 30 to 40 meshes deep, and cost abont $1. The favorite spots 
for stake-nets are just below the road bridge at I^ew Bern, some of 
the nets being tied at one end to the piling of the bridge, between 
Upper Broad Creek and Goose Creek, off the month of Slocnms Creek, 
and close to Cherry Point. In 1906, 3,232 of these nets were set; 
in l')04, 3,600; and in 1896, 3,240. In 1896 the number of shad 
secured in these nets was 23,118, and in 1904, 18,514, a decrease of 
4,604. Usually these nets are operated until the early part of 
April, but at the time of my visit to the jSTeuse (about the middle 
of March) nearly all that had been set in the lower reaches of the 
river had been taken out, owing largely to the small catch up to that 
time and to the ravages of crabs. This form of apparatus was inter- 
dicted by law for many years. 

Drift gill-nets are operated generally between Bachelor Creek, 4 
miles above ]!S^ew Bern, and Thoroughfare, 91^ miles from ISTew 
Bern. These nets averaged about 110 yards in length, with stretch 
mesh of 5^/4 inches. In 1906, 20 drift-nets were used; in 1904, 10; 
and in 1896, 38. The number of shad taken in this form of appa- 
ratus in 1896 was 18,485, while in 1904 but 800 were secured, a 
decrease of 17,685. 

The pound-net was first introduced in the jSTeuse Biver about 
1878. In 1880, 6 were reported, and by 1896 this number had 
increased to 86, set on both sides of the river. In 1904 there were 
77 in use, all located on the north side of the river in Pamlico 
County, a law forbidding their use elsewhere on the river. The 
"leads" to these nets average about 200 yards in length, and the 
mesh in the traps is from 2 to 1% inches. They are usually put 
in the water in August or September and allowed to remain in until 
May. The number of shad taken in this form of apparatus in 1896 
was 22,471, and in 1904 it amounted to but 7,392, a decrease of 
15,079. There was also a decrease of 10 in the number of nets em- 
ployed. 

Only 15 bow-nets were used in this section in 1906 as compared 
with 26 in 1904 and 185 in 1896. The catch of shad in this form 
of apparatus in 1896 was 12,250, while in 1904 the number taken 
amounted to but 1,360, a decrease of 10,890. 



26 SHAD FISHEEIES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 

The season of 1906 was somewhat better than that of 1905, but 
even then shad were quite scarce as compared with the earlier seasons. 
This year what fish did come up the river appeared late in the season. 
Alewives were also more plentiful than in 1905, which was a very 
bad season. 

FROM CONTENTNEA RIVER TO GOLDSBORO. 

In this stretch of river during 1906, 8 seines and llY bow-nets 
were employed in the shad fisheries, as compared with 12 stake gill- 
nets, 7 seines, and 170 bow-nets in 1904; and 6 stake gill-nets, 12 
seines, and 257 bow-nets in 1896. In the last-named year the can- 
vass was extended to the headwaters, which explains the large num- 
ber of bow-nets for that year. Seines were operated in 1906 as far 
up the river as Bear Creek, 69 miles from ISTew Bern. The catch 
of shad in this stretch of river in 1896 was as follows: In stake- 
.nets, 824; in seines, 6,108, and bow-nets, 11,067. In 1904 the 
catch of shad by apparatus was as follows: In stake-nets, 206; 
in seines, 996; in bow-nets, 3,324. All show a decrease for 1904 as 
compared with 1896. 

CONTENTNEA RIVER. 

This river enters the jSFeuse about 32 miles above jSTew Bern, is 
140 miles long, and is navigable as far as Stantonsburg, 63 miles 
above the mouth. The apparatus used in taking shad in this river 
consists of seines, stake gill-nets, and wheels. The seines run from 
30 to 85 yards in length, with mesh from 2 to 3% inches. The 
stake-nets average about 10 yards in length, with mesh of 5^4 inches, 
and are set between Gaskins and McCarters landings. There were 
also 8 wheels in operation a few miles above and below Stantons- 
burg. In this latter fishery rows of saplings sunk in the stream and 
banked with brush are run out from both banks until they are 
within about 5 feet of each other. In this narrow opening the wheel 
is i^laced. This comprises two broad frameworks, like paddles, to 
which net-bags are attached, the whole looking like two dip-nets 
attached to an axle. By means of a rude sort of windlass attached 
to the axle, the paddles are turned by hand, and as the current aids 
very materially when one of the paddles is in the water, it requires 
very little strength to operate. When not in use the axle is turned 
until both paddles are out of the water and then clamped in this posi- 
tion. This brinffs them so far above the surface that a rowboat can 



SHAD KISHERIES OF NORTH CAIJOLTNA. 27 

pass iiiulcL' tln' ]):Kl(lle8 tlivougli tlic opening'. As an appropriation 
has been secured for the inip]-o\'enicnt of the Contentnea, and tliese 
wheels were an obstruction to navigation, the United States engineer 
in charge of the work ordered their removal. They should be prohib- 
ited by law also. 

In 1890 there were 178 stake gill-nets, 10 seines, and 70 bow- 
nets operated for shad; in 1904, 100 stake gill-nets, 7 seines, and 44 
bow-nets, and in 1906, 48 stake gill-nets, 4 seines, and 8 wheels so 
operated. In 1896 the catch of shad by apparatus was as follows: 
In stake gill-nets, 2,541 ; in seines, 2,573, and in bow-nets, 1,919. 
In 1904 the catch of shad was as follows: In stake gill-nets, 910 ; in 
seines, 1,510, and in bow-nets, 771. 

LITTLE EIVEK. 

About 2 miles above Goldsboro the jSTeuse receives the waters of 
Little River, which is nearly 100 miles long. 'No effort was made 
to cover this stream more than a few miles from its mouth, where 
some fishing was carried on by Goldsboro parties. Three stake gill- 
nets, 30 yards long, were set abont 21/2 miles from its mouth. 

RECOMMENDATIONS AS TO THE NEUSE EIVEE AND TEIBITTAKIES. 

The nse of two seines at the same time in one fishing-hole should 
be prohibited. The use of wheels should be prohibited. It seems to 
me that far too many stake gill-nets are set in the immediate vicinity 
of the road bridge at 'Ne\Y Bern. 

PAMLICO-TAR RIVER. 

Pamlico River is only the estuary of the Tar River, the name 
changing just above the town of Washington. The Pamlico River 
portion has a length of 37 miles, with a maximum width of 4 miles 
and a minimum width of abont 1-3 of a mile at Washington. The 
•Tar River is 180 miles long, thns giving a total length for both por- 
tions of 217 miles. Tarboro, 49 miles above Washington, is the 
present head of navigation. Shad ascend as far as Rocky Mount, 
where a natural fall obstructs their farther advance. 

By far the greater part of the fishing is prosecuted in the Pam- 
lico River section, and drift and stake gill-nets, pound-nets, and 
seines are the forms of apparatus employed. 



28 SHAD FISHEKIES OF KOETH CAROLINA. 

The 12 drift gill-nets used in 1906 averaged 100 yards in length 
and were operated in front of Washington. 

The stake gill-nets are about 20 yards in length, 10 to 12 feet deep, 
with 53/g to 5^-inch mesh, and about 20 are set in a string. They 
are scattered all along the river from Redmans Point to opposite 
Sinclairs Creek; Blount Bay and the vicinity of Mauls Point are 
the favorite spots for setting these nets. In 1896, 840 of these nets 
were used and took 8,114 shad. In 1904, 1,315 were employed, and 
took 6,576 shad. In 1906, 1,500 nets were set. .This shows a constant 
increase in the number of nets, but a steady decrease in the catch. 
Sand-fleas were especially destructive to the nets during 1906, many 
of the nets being destroyed by them, and at the time of my visit 
(shortly after the middle of March) only a few strings were in the 
water. 

Seines in the Pamlico River are operated from Mauls Point to 
the tawn of Washington. In 1906, 12 were operated in this section, 
7 being on the south side of the river, 3 on the north side, and 2 
being hauled to islands in the river. These seines range from 350 
to 800 yards in length, with meshes from 2 to 2l/o inches. The sea- 
son usually begins early in February below Washington, and about 
2 weeks later in the upper portions of the river. In 1896, 23 seines 
were used on the Pamlico and took 32,178 shad; while in 1904, 16 
seines were employed and took 9,840 shad, showing a decrease of 
7 seines and 22,338 shad. In 1906, 12 seines were operated. 

In 1896, 27 pound-nets were set near the mouth of the Pungo 
River. An interdiction existed against the use of this form of 
apparatus at that time, but it was "more honored in the breach than 
in the observance." In 1903 the Legislature authorized their use 
in the Pamlico River "below a line beginning on the southern shore 
of Pamlico River at Mauls Point, and running due north to a point 
on the northern shore of said river : Provided, that no dutch, pod, 
pyke, or pound-net, or other net of like kind, shall extend out in said 
river more than one-eighth of the distance across said river from 
the shore, and that none of said dutch, pod, pyke, or pound-nets shall 
be set, placed down, or fished nearer to each other than five hundred 
yards, measuring up and down the river ; nor shall they be placed, 
set down, or fished within five hundred yards of any seine-beach in 
actual use for hauling a seine, nor within one mile of the mouth 
of Bath Creek: Provided, no nets of the kind enumerated in this 



SIIAO KISIIKKIKS OF NOKTII CAROLINA. 2!) 

section, or otlicv ncls of like kiiid, slinll he ])l;i('e(l down, set, or 
tislied in said ri\'ers between the tenth day of May and the first day 
of -luly in any year/' As there has been considerable objection to 
the use of pound-nets in this river, I made an especially careful ex- 
amination of those set during the season of 1900, and am forced to 
confess that they seem to be less of an obstruction to the ascent of 
the shad than on any other river and sound where their use is author- 
ized by law. Xo string has more than 4 nets upon it, while the ma- 
jority have but -2 and 3, and the law about not running them out 
more than % of the width of the river seems to be rigidly obeyed. 
The section forbidding the setting of these nets within 1 mile of the 
mouth of Bath Creek is not observed, how^ever. During 1906, 165 
pound-nets were set in the Pamlico River, but up to the time of my 
visit they, as well as the gill-netters, had caught very few shad. In 
1904 there were 190 pound-nets set, and these took 19,075 shad, a 
very small catch for such a large number of nets. 

TAR RIVER. 

From Washington to Greenville, a distance of 22 miles, 9 seine- 
beaches were operated in 1906. As the season had been so poor up 
to the time of my visit, one or two Avere in doubt about operating, 
but as they had made ready they have been included. The above is 
a decrease of 2 as compared with 1904, and of 1 as compared with 
18Q6. These nets range in lenglli from 100 to 400 yards. In 1896 
the 10 seines secured 6,515 shad, while in 1904 the 11 seines secured 
9,840, a gain of 3,325. Judging from the limited data obtainable 
the seines operated on the Tar River have held their own better than 
on any other river in the State. 

Bow-nets are operated at favorable points above Washington. 
In 1896, 98 were operated; in 1904, 174; and in 1906, 60. The 
number of shad secured in these in 1896 was 6,285, and in 1904 was 
3,620. 

PUNGO RIVER. 

The Pungo River is a short and broad tributary of Pamlico River. 
In 1896 there were set 24 pound-nets near the mouth of the river, a 
decrease of 10 as compared with 1904, when 34 were set. These nets 
are similar to those, operated in the Pamlico River. 



30 SI-IAB FISHEEIES OF NOETH CAROLINA. 

CROATAN SOUND. 

Tliis sound, which forms the principal means of communication 
between Pamlico and Albemarle sounds, is 10 miles long, 2l^ to 4 
miles wide, and averages 8 to 10 feet deep, the bottom being very 
uneven. Roanoke Island forms its eastern shore and the mainland 
the western, l^early all of the shad passing north from Pamlico 
Sound traverse Groatan Sound. 

The pound-net is the only apparatus of importance set for shad. 
The western shore is lined with strings of nets, reaching out 1-5 the 
width of the sound, while but few are operated on the eastern shore. 
These are operated by people from Callahans Creek, Manns Harbor, 
and Peter Mashoes Creek on the mainland, and from Skyco on 
Roanoke Island. The nets are similar to those operated in the north- 
eastern end of Pamlico Sound. In 1896 there were 140 pound-nets 
operated in this sound; in 1904, 200; and in 1906, 190. The num- 
ber of shad taken in these pound-nets in 1896 was Y3,834, and in 
1904, 72,860. The average number of shad per net in 1896 was 627, 
and 1904, 364, thus showing a very material decrease per net. 

In 1906, 1,478 stake gill-nets, of the same length and style as those 
operated in Pamlico Sound, were set in Croatan Sound. The num- 
ber of these set shows a steady decrease, as in 1896, 5,625 were set, 
and in 1904, 2,550. The former gill-netters are now most of them 
pound-netters. In 1896 the catch of shad in gill-nets numbered 
68,626; while in 1904 the number had decreased to 4,898. The 
catch per net in 1896 was 13, while in 1904 it had decreased to 
slightly under 2 to the net. 

ROANOKE SOUND. 

Roanoke Sound runs parallel to Croatan Sound and is separated 
from the latter by Roanoke Island. It is about 10 miles in length, 
from 1 to 2 miles wide, and very shoal except in a narrow channel 
skirting the shore of the island. But few shad pass through Roanoke 
Sound, the favorite passage being Croatan Sound. 

Only 270 stake gill-nets were set in this sound in 1906 and 
nearly all off the extreme northern end of the island. There were 
46 pound-nets operated in the sound in 1906 and all but 2 of these 
were between Ballast Point and IsT. W. Point of Roanoke Island. 
In 1896, 225 stake gill-nets were operated; in 1904, 1,950, and in 
1906, 270. The number of shad taken in these nets in 1896 was 



SHAD FISHERIES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 31 

5,000, and in lUO-i the number ^vas 1,500; tlie average per net in 
1890 being 22, while in 1904 it was less than 1 to the not. In 
1890, 3 pound-nets were set, and in 1904, 43. The catch of shad per 
net in 1896 was 694, but in 1904 it had dropped to 63 to the net. 

ALBEMARLE SOUND AND TRIBUTARIES. 

The magnificent sheet of water known as Albemarle Sound 
stretches east and west from the coast to a distance of nearly 60 
miles, and is said to be the largest coastal bodj of fresh water in the 
world. In width it averages 7 or 8 miles and has an area approxi- 
mating 450 square miles. The only tides on this sound are those 
caused by the winds, and these are of infrequent occurrence, while it 
is wholly free from strong currents. Its depth is quite uniform, 
averaging from 16 to 20 feet. 

Stake and anchored gill-nets, seines and pound-nets are the forms 
of apparatus operated for shad. The principal fishing centers on the 
sound are Powells Point, Peter Mashoes Creek, ITolloways Pier, 
Pear Tree Point, Leonards Point, Mackeys Perry, and Edenton. 
Edenton, Hertford, and Elizabeth City are the principal shipping 
points. 

The anchored gill-nets in 1906 nnmbered 299, with a total length 
of 39,150 yards, and a value of $3,937. The greater part of these 
nets are set in the sound west of the Perquimans River. The only 
difference between these nets and stake gill-nets is that the former 
are anchored at each end instead of being secured by stakes, as is 
the case with the latter. The catch of these nets has been combined 
with the stake gill-net catch. 

The stake-nets operated in this sound are of the same length and 
style as those described for Pamlico Sound. These nets are set princi- 
pally on the south side of the sound between Laurel Point and the 
Alligator River, and on the north side east of Little River. The 
eastern end of the sound is also a favorite spot. In 1896, 21,985 of 
these nets (including anchored nets also) were set in the sound and 
they caught 429,599 shad, an average of 19^4 fish to the net, while 
in 1904, 12,909 nets were operated and caught 61,954 shad, or an 
average of about 41/2 fi^b to the net. In 1906 there were 13,215 
(299 of which were anchored nets) in use, and owing to the muddy 
water they did fairly well. In 1896 the stake-net fishery was the 



32 SHAD FISHERIES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 

most important, but in 1904 the pound-net fishery had achieved the 
pre-eminence. 

The pound-nets in Albemarle Sound are almost essentially the 
same as those in Croatan and Pamlico sounds. AVhile quite a few 
are set between Peter Mashoes Creek and Durants Island, on the 
south side, and at Powells Point, at the eastern end, the great body 
of them are located in the western half, west of Little River on the 
north and the Scuppernong River on the south. Some of the longest 
strings in the State are located in this section. These nets were first 
introduced in Albemarle Sound in 1870. In 1880 there were 117 
in use, in 1896 the number had increased to 612, in 1904 they num- 
bered 714, and in 1906 there was a slight decrease, only 661 being' 
set. The catch in 1880 was 920,360 shad, an average of 7,866 to the 
net; in 1896 the catch amounted to 173,380 shad, an average of 283 
to the net; and in 1904, 69,848 shad were taken, an average of 98 to 
the net. The pound-nets did very jDOorly in 1906. 

Until about 1860 haul-seines were the only form of apparatus used 
for shad, and for some years later they were the principal apparatus. 
Owing to the expense of operating them as compared with gill-nets 
and pound-nets, they gradually dropped off until in 1906 there were 
but 3 in operation on the sound — at Drummonds Point and Green- 
field in Chowan County, and at Avoca in Bertie County. These 
seines are among the largest in the country, averaging 2,500 yards 
each in length. The meshes in the wings range from 21^ to 4-inch 
stretch, and in the bunt 2-inch stretch mesh. The laying out of the 
seine is done by means of steam flats. In 1896 there were 4 seines 
operated on the sound and these secured 132,213 shad, or an average 
of 33,053 to the net. In 1904, 3 were operated and secured 47,084 
shad, or an average of 15,694 shad to the net- — less than ^2 of "tl^e 
average of 1896. 

NORTH RIVER. 

This is a short but comparatively wide river emptying into the 
eastern part of Albemarle Sound. In 1904, 14 pound-nets were 
operated in this river, and in 1906, 13. The catch of shad in 1904 
was only 700, this river being frequented but little by this species. 



SHAD fis7if:kies of north Carolina. 33 

PASQUOTANK RIVER. 

This is really an arm of Albemarle Sonncl, extending 15 miles 
inland, with an average vs^idth of 2 miles and a depth of 10 or 12 
feet. In 1896 there were 100 stake gill-nets, 17 pound-nets, 4 seines 
and 10 minor nets operated for shad ; in 1904 there were 100 stake 
gill-nets and 44 ponnd-nets set, and in 1906, 47 pound-nets. In 1896 
the catch of shad in stake-nets was 1,000 ; in pound-nets, 2,840 ; in 
seines, 4,642, and in minor nets, 275. In 1904 the catch in stake- 
nets was 130 shad and in pound-nets, 1,100. The run of shad in this 
river is slight and most of the above apparatus is set for alewives 
and other species, rather than for shad. 

LITTLE RIVER. '• 

This is quite a short stream emptying into the sound between the 
Pasquotank and Perquimans rivers. Shad go up it in limited num- 
bers and the pound-nets set in it in 1906 were principally for other 
species. In 1904, 40 stake-nets, 26 pound-nets, and 1 seine took shad, 
while in 1906 there were but 22 pound-nets set during the shad 

seasons. 
I 

PERQUIMANS RIVER. 

This is also an arm of Albemarle Sound, 12 miles long, and aver- 
aging over a mile in width. ISText to the Chowan River this is the 
most important stream on the north side of the sound up which the 
shad ascend. In 1896, 765 stake-netsj 71 pound-nets, and 2 seines, 
caught some shad, the number taken in the stake-nets being 12,428, 
in the pound-nets 12,718, and in the seines 7,680, a total of 32,822. 
In 1904, 210 stake-nets took 1,750 shad and 136 pound-nets caught 
10,500 shad, a total of 12,250, or a decrease of 20,572. 

YEOPIM RIVER AND CREEK. 

In 1904, 52 pound-nets set in the river caught 4,000 shad. In 
1906 there were 46 pound-nets set in the river and 5 in the creek. 
Shad forms but a small part of the total catch of these nets. 

CHOWAN RIVER. 

The Chowan is formed by the junction of the Blackwater and 
JSTottoway rivers nearly on the line between IS^orth Carolina and 

3 



34 SHAD FISHERIES OF JSTOETH CAROLINA. 

Virginia. From the junction to its mouth is a distance of about 55 
miles. For the lower 20 miles the river averages about 1% miles in 
width, and the water is dark and clear. For a few miles above 
Coleraine the greater part of the river is filled with stumps, while 
above Hollidays Island the river narrows very much. This river is 
most noted for its alewife fisheries, the shad catch being very small 
when one considers the quantity of apparatus used. 

Seines, drift and stake gill-nets, and pound-nets are the only forms 
of apparatus used. 

There were formerly a large number of seines on the river, but 
the unprofitableness of seine fishing, and the lesser cost of operating 
pound-nets, has led to the abandonment of many of them. In 1896 
8 seines were operated and secured 60,450 shad, while 4 were oper- 
ated in 1904 and secured but 3,885 shad, an average of 7,556 per 
net in 1896, and of 971 per net in 1904. In 1906 but 3 seines were 
operated, and all of these were above Hollidays Island. 

The Chowan River has the largest number of pound-nets in use of 
any river in the country, the number in 1906 being 872. In 1896 
there were 447 in operation, and in 1904, 833. There is a regular 
network of nets from the mouth to Tunis, occupying about 2-3 of 
the river. From Whites Landing to Hollys Wharf a large number 
are set in the middle of the river in addition to those running out 
from both shores. The law permits the pound-netters to run their 
strings out to 1-3 the width of the river. One string of 9 nets at 
Willow Branch came prominently to my notice, owing to the com- 
plaints of some of the fishermen that it extended out almost to the 
center of the river, and my eye observation bore out their complaint. 
In 1896 the 447 pound-nets caught 122,595 shad, an average of 
about 274 to the net; in 1904 the 833 nets secured 13,869 shad, an 
average of about 17 to the net. 

A few stake gill-nets, similar to those in the sound, are set near 
the mouth. There were 60 of these in 1904 and 120 in 1906. 

In the vicinity of the railroad bridge at Tunis 74 drift gill-nets 
were drifted in 1896, 99 in 1904, and 102 in 106. They averaged 
18 yards in length. 

ROANOKE RIVER. 

The Roanoke River is the principal tributary of Albemarle Sound, 
and is a narrow stream, with very rapid current. It rises in Virginia 
and from the confiuence of the Dan and Staunton in Virginia is 198 



SHAD laSHERIES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 35 

miles to its mouth. The water of the Koanoke is very muddy and can 
be traced for mauy miles after emptying into the sound, by its dingy 
yellow color. 

The commercial shad tisheries are confined quite largely to that por- 
■ tion of the river from the mouth to Williamston. The forms of appa- 
ratus employed are seines, bow-nets, drift gill-nets, and wheels. 

The seines catch slightly more than ^ of the shad obtained, 
although they formerly secured over 80 per cent. Seines are op- 
erated at Jamesville and from 2 miles above Plymouth to the mouth. 
The waters of the Roanoke debouch into the sound through three 
mouths — the Roanoke proper. Middle River and Cashi River com- 
bined, and the Eastmost River. Below Plymouth 2 of the fisheries 
are on the Roanoke, 1 on the Middle River, and 2 on the Cashi 
River. In 1896, 8 seines were operated and secured 60,450 shad, an 
average of Y,556 to the net; while in 1904, 8 seines secured 8,200 
shad, an average of 1,025 to the net. In 1906, 9 seines were operated. 
The presence of so many nets near the mouth of such a narrow 
stream as the Roanoke would appear on the surface as excessive, but 
nature has put such limits upon their operations as amply protect 
the stream itself. Freshets are quite frequent on the river, and when 
these occur it is impossible to operate the seines, thus permitting the 
shad an unobstructed passage up the river. 

A few gill-nets, 18 in 1896, 7 in 1904, and 8 in 1906, are drifted 
in the vicinity of Plymouth, but the fishery is very insigTiificant 
now, 4,000 shad having been secured in 1896 and but 220 in 1904. 

A number of wheels are operated close to shore on both sides of 
the river, but as they only extend out about 12 feet they do no dam- 
age to the shad fisheries. A number of bow-nets are also fished at 
various places along the river as far up as Weldon. In 1896 there 
were 510 wheels and bow-nets operated and these caught 15,500 
shad. In 1904, 126 were operated and caught 6,390 shad. In 1906, 
114 were operated. 

SCTJPPEBNONG AND ALLIGATOR RIVERS. 

On the south side of the sound are the Scuppernong and Alligator 
rivers, in which are carried on extensive pound-net fisheries for ale- 
wives, but the number of shad which enter these rivers is exceed- 
ingly small, so these nets have not been included in the tables. 



36 SHAD FISHEEIES OF JSTOKTH CAEOLIKA. 

The shad fisheries of Albemarle Sound and its tributaries are in a 
very bad way at present. If this were a temporary condition, due to 
local adverse conditions prevailing for one, or possibly, two seasons, 
it might be hoped that matters would soon adjust themselves, and 
the fish return in as great numbers as formerly ; but all information 
available points steadily in one direction, viz., the shad are not 
caught in anything like such abundance as say, from five to ten years 
back, simply because they are not in ITorth Carolina waters to be 
caught. The fishermen of the sound are thoroughly awake to this 
fact, and are seeking a remedy. Unfortunately, they have cast their 
eyes away from home, as is but human, and have failed to notice, or 
blinded themselves to the conditions prevailing in their own vicinity. 
For a time the great cry was to "clear the inlets !" The inlets were 
thoroughly clear last season, and there was but little to prevent the 
shad from ascending if they so desired, and what was the result ? 
A season as bad, if not worse, than the preceding ones. It is useless 
to contend that the fishermen in Dare County are solely to blame for 
the present depleted condition of the fisheries ; the blame lies almost 
as much upon the fishermen of western Albemarle Sound and its 
tributaries. During the season of 1906 the fishermen of Albemarle 
Sound and its tributaries operated 1,813 pound-nets, more than were 
operated in the whole of Virginia in 1904. The greater part of this 
large number of pound-nets is massed in the western end of the sound 
and in the Chowan River, on the principal spawning beds. Tar be 
it from me to recommend the abolishment of the pound-net, which 
can ill be spared in this age of advancement ; but something must be 
done to reduce the enormous number now being set in the sound and 
its tributaries if it is ever hoped to build up the shad fisheries again. 
ISTot content with running out the numerous strings of pound-nets in 
the narrow portion of western Albemarle, many of the owners also 
set out long strings of anchored gill-nets in the portions of the sound 
where pound-nets are not permitted. It would possibly be well to 
abolish the anchored gill-net altogether in this sound. Such a prohi- 
bition would fall but lightly on the fishermen, as nearly all of the 
owners of such nets are also pound-netters. The conditions in the 
eastern section of the sound are not so bad as in the western, as but 
few nets are set in this section, and it is also much wider than the 
other. 



SJiAJD PlSliEKIES OF NOimi CAROLINA. 37 

The alewife tishery, which is very important on this sound and its 
tributaries, is also in bad shape, the decrease in this species being as 
marked as in that of the shad. As the greater part of tliese are taken 
in pound-nets and seines, with the shad, anything that will benefit 
the shad fisheries will work also for the benefit of the alewife. 

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS. 

ENFOECEMENT OF THE LAW. 

As the law is at present constituted, it is quite difficult of enforce- 
ment in many instances. The procedure to be followed nnder the 
more. important clauses is as follows: Some person must make an 
affidavit that he is informed and believes that the law is being vio- 
lated at some particular place. This affidavit must be delivered to 
the Oyster Commissioner or Assistant Oyster Commissioner, whose 
duty it shall be "to go himself or send a deputy to snch place, inves- 
tigate same, and he shall seize and remove all nets or other appli- 
ances setting or being used in violation of this section, sell same at 
public auction and apply proceeds of sale to payment of cost and 
expenses of such removal, and pay any balance remaining to the 
school fund of the county nearest to where offense is committed." 
One of the most serious objections to this method of procedure is 
that in a strictly fishing community the odium attached to informing' 
against violators of the fishing laws would prevent a person from 
making such an affidavit as required above unless he was being di- 
rectly injured by the violation. Another objection is that the bur- 
den of prosecuting the suit is imposed upon the Oyster Commissioner. 
At present this official is compensated from a fund made up of license 
fees paid by the oystermen, and the latter object most decidedly to 
the oyster fees being diverted to the protection of the fisheries, which 
■contribute not one penny towards this fund. The law provides, of 
course, for the payment of the expenses of suit oiTt of the sale of the 
offending apparatus, but if the owner should fight the matter in 
the courts the expense of litigation might exceed the amount realized 
from such sale if the suit resulted in favor of the State, while if the 
suit is decided in favor of the fishermen the whole expense of the 
suit would be saddled upon the oyster fund. This is not just to the 
oystermen, as all of the license fees paid by them, over and above 
what is expended in the compensation of officials appointed to en- 



38 SHAD FISHERIES OF I^ORTH CAEOLINA. 

force the oyster laws, is supposed to be expended in the direct work 
of bettering the condition of the oyster beds. 

What the State of ISTorth Carolina needs is a commission of one or 
more practical men appointed for the sole purpose of conserving its 
fisheries. The fisheries of the State are of vast importance to its 
prosperity and too much cannot be done to foster them. During my 
investigation I found an almost unanimous sentiment in favor of 
such a commission, and a quite general willingness on the part of the 
fishermen to support it by means of license fees, as is now being done 
in the case of the oyster fishery. 

EARLY CLOSIjSTG OF SEASOjST. 

At present shad fishing is permitted on the Cape Fear Kiver as 
late as May 15th; in Pamlico County on the jSTeuse River until 
May 1st, and along the balance of the river until May 15th, while 
dutch or pound-nets are allowed in the Pamlico River until May 10th. 
Throughout the rest of the State there are practically no restrictions 
upon the length of time the shad fishermen shall work. It is, of 
course, obvious that the late runs of shad comprise the ripest females, 
and these are the ones which should receive the most protection. 
After the middle of April there is but little profit to the fishermen in 
shipping shad, as the northern markets are then well supplied with 
fish from Chesapeake and Delaware bays, and the price is necessarily 
quite low. If these late shad were permitted to spawn unmolested by 
man they would undoubtedly benefit the fishery wonderfully, and I 
would recommend that this be done. The fishermen along the upper 
reaches of the river could be permitted to work from a week to ten 
days longer than those near the mouths or in the sounds, as it would 
take about that length of time for the last run upon which the latter 
had worked to reach the upper courses of the rivers. I would sug- 
gest the following basis upon which to work : 

Cape Fear River.— All shad apparatus below the mouth of Black 
River to be out by April 20th; all above this point to be out by 
May 1st. 

Northeast Cape Fear River.— xill shad apparatus below Castle Hayne 
to be out by April 20th, and all above that point to be out by May 1st. 

Black and other tributaries of the Cape Fear River.— All shad appa- 
ratus to be out by May 1st. 



SHAD FISHERIES OF NOKTII CAROLINA. 39 

Neuse River.— All shad and alcwifc ap])aratTis operated at or below 
the toAvii of jSTew Bern to be out by April 20tL, and all above that 
town to be ont by May 1st. 

Pamlico and Pungo River.— All shad and alewife apparatus to be 
ont by April 20th. 

Tar River.— All shad and alewife apparatus to be out by May 1st. 

Pamlico, Roanoke and Croatan Sounds.— All shad and alewife appa- 
ratus to be out by April 20th. 

Albemarle Sound and Tributaries.— In that portion of the sound 
east of the Perquimans Kiver on the north and Ship Point on the 
south, all netting to be out by April 20th (this to apply also to the 
tributaries of the sound in this section). West of the above points 
and in the tributaries of that portion of the sound all netting to be 
out by May 1st. 

LOCATION OF FIXED SHAD APPARATUS. 

As ordered, I plotted on government charts all the fixed apparatus 
(except stake gill-nets) used for shad during the season of 1906, 
and copies of these charts are attached hereto. It should be distinctly 
understood that the location of these nets, and the distance each 
string is run from the shore or shoal, is merely approximate, as it 
would have required the services of a surveyor and a long period of 
time to have shown the exact location and length of each string, and 
the time during which they are in the water is too limited for that. 
The stake gill-nets are not shown because of their large number in 
certain places, and the impossibility of plotting them in the limited 
space available on even the largest scale chart issued by the govern- 
ment. The main Cape Fear Piver is not included because only gill- 
nets and a very few seines were operated on the river. "Whenever 
possible, sections of the rivers in which no fixed apparatus was set 
have been omitted in order to reduce the number and size of the 
charts as far as possible. Copies of charts showing the location of 
fixed apparatus set for shad in the ^euse, Pamlico, and Pungo rivers, 
Pamlico, Croatan, and Roanoke sounds, and Albemarle Sound and 
tributaries for the season of 1904, are also included in order that 
the changes made in two seasons from natural causes, and from the 
operation of the Vann law, may be shown. 



PUBLICATIONS OF THE NORTH CAROLINA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



BULLETINS. 



1. Iron Ores of North Carolina, by Henry B. C. Nitze, 1893. 8°, 2.39 pp., 20 
pi., and map. Postage 10 cents. 

2. Building Stone in North Carolina, by T. L. Watson and F. B. Laney in 
follaboration with George P. Merrill. In press. 

3. Gold Deposits in North Carolina, by Henry B. C. Nitze and George B. 
Hanna, 1896. 8°, 196 pp.. 14 pi., and map. Out of print. 

4. Road Material and Road Construction in North Carolina, by J. A. Holmes 
and William Cain, 1893. 8°, 88 pp. Out of print. 

5. The Forests, Forest Lands and Forest Products of Eastern North Caro- 
lina, by W. W. Ashe, 1894. 8°, 128 pp., 5 pi. Postage 5 cents. 

6. The Timber Trees of North Carolina,, by Gifford Pinchot and W. W. Ashe, 
1897. 8°, 227 pp., 22 pi. Postage 10 cents. 

7. Forest Fires : Their Destructive Work, Causes and Prevention, by W. W. 
Ashe, 1895. 8°, 66 pp., 1 pi. Postage 5 cents. 

8. Water-powers in North Carolina, by George F. Swain, Joseph H. Holmes 
and E. W. Myers, 1899. 8°, 362 pp., 16 pi. Postage 16 cents. 

9. Monazite and Monazite Deposits in North Carolina, by Henry B. C. Nitze, 
1895. 8°, 47 pp., 5 pi. Postage 4 cents. 

10. Gold Mining in North Carolina and other Appalachian States, by Henry 
B. C. Nitze and A. J. Wilkins, 1897. 8°, 164 pp., 10 pi. Postage 10 cents. 

11. Corundum and the Basic Magnesian Rocks of Western North Carolina, 
by J. Volney Lewis, 1895. 8°, 107 pp., 6 pi. Postage 4 cents. 

12. Drinking Water Supplies in North Carolina, by Joseph A. Holmes. In 
preparation. 

13. Clay Deposits and Clay Industries in North Carolina, by Heinrich Reis. 
1897. 8°, 157 pp., 12 pi. Postage 10 cents. 

14. The Cultivation of the Diamond-back Terrapin, by R. E. Coker, 1906. 
8°, 67 pp., 23 pi., 2 tigs. Postage 5 cents. 

15. Mineral Waters of North Carolina, by F. P. Venable. In press. 

16. A List of Elevations in North Carolina, by J. A. Holmes and E. W. 
Myers. In preparation. 

17. Historical Sketch of North Carolina Scientific and Economic Surveys ; 
and Bibliography of North Carolina Geology, Mineralogy and Natural History, 
l)y .1. A. I-Iolmes and L. C. Glenn. In preparation. 

IS. Road Materials and Construction, by .Joseph A. Holmes and William 
Cain. //( preparation. 

19. The Tin Deposits of the Carolinas, by Joseph Hyde Pratt and Douglass 
B. Sterrett, 1905. 8°, 64 pp., 8 figs. Postage 4 cenis. 

20. The Loblolly Pine in Eastern North Carolina, by W. ^V^. Ashe. In prepa- 
ration. 

ECONOMIC PAPERS. 

1. The Maple-Sugar Industry in Western North Carolina, by W. W. Ashe, 
1897. 8°, 34 pp. Postage 2 cents. 



42 ' PUBLICATIONS OP THE SURVEY. > 

2. Recent Road Legislation in North Carolina, by J. A. Holmes. Out of 
print. 

3. Talc and Pyropliyllite Deposits in North Carolina, by Joseph Hyde Pratt, 
1900. 8°, 29 pp., 2 maps. Postage 2 cents. 

4. The Mining Industry in North Carolina During 1900, l^y Joseph Hyde 
Pratt, 1901. 8°, 36 pp., and map. Postage 2 cents. 

5. Road Laws of North Carolina, by J. A. Holmes. Out of print. 

6. The Mining Industry in North Carolina During 1901, by Joseph Hyde 
Pratt, 1902. 8°, 102 pp. Postage 4 cents. 

7. Mining Industry in North Carolina During 1902, by Joseph Hyde Pratt, 
1903. 8°, 27 pp. Postage 2 cents. 

8. The Mining Industry in North Carolina During 1903, by Joseph Hyde 
Pratt, 1904. 8°, 74 pp. Postage 4 cents. 

9. The Mining Industry in North Carolina During 1904, by Joseph Hyde 
Pratt, 1905. 8°, 95 pp. Postage Jf cents. 

10. Oyster Culture in North Carolina, by Robert E. Coker, 1905. 8°, 39 pp. 
Postage 2 cents. 

11. The Mining Industry in North Carolina During 1905. by Joseph Hyde 
Pratt, 1906. In preparation. 

12. Investigations Relative to the Shad Fisheries of North Carolina, by John 
N. Cobb. Postage ^ cents. 



EEPORTS ON RESOURCES. 

Vol. 1. Corundum and the Basic Magnesian Rocks in Western North Caro- 
lina, by Joseph Hyde Pratt and J. Volney Lewis. Postage 32 cents. 

Vol. 2. Fish and Fisheries in North Carolina, by PL M. Smith. In press. 

Vol. 4. Miscellaneous Mineral Resources in North Carolina, by Joseph Hyde 
Pratt. In preparatiow. 



These publications are mailed to libraries and to individuals who may desire 
information on any of the special subjects named, free of charge, except that in 
each case applicants for the reports should forward the amount of postage 
needed, as indicated above, for mailing the bulletins desired, to the State 
Geologist, Chapel Hill, V. C. 




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ECONOMIC PAPER No. 12, CHART V. 




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